HONG KONG, Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Materials, Manufacturing & Technology (MM&T), Asia-Pacific's biggest and most international leather fair, will undertake the strict implementation of its new product sectorisation policy for its 2013 event which runs from 25 to 27 March in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. This was announced recently by fair organiser APLF Limited.

Perrine Ardouin, Events Director of APLF, explained, "The aim of this policy is to make the fair easier to navigate for the thousands of buyers that visit, allowing them easier access to the companies and products they are seeking."

Tanneries and leather traders as well as chemical companies and those offering leather production related equipment, supplies and services will be situated in Hall 1, now to be known as the Leather Hall.

Exhibitors offering synthetic material, PU/PVC materials, natural woven fabrics as well as footwear components and hardware, subsidiary materials for use in leathergoods and other fashion products will be located in Hall 3, next to APLF's collocated fair, Fashion Access, where predominantly Chinese and Asian contract manufacturers exhibit alongside international brands of bags, shoes and other finished fashion goods.

Another new sector to be formally launched by APLF in March 2013 is Sourcing Luxury, a special exhibit within MM&T that answers the growing demand from international fashion brands for new and reliable sources of luxury leather, materials, components and accessories.

Sourcing Luxury will bring together some of the world's leading producers of exotic skins such as crocodile, ostrich, python, shagreen; high-quality vegetable tanned leathers; beautifully designed and top-class components and accessories made of precious metals and woods, mother-of-pearl, coral, horn, semi-precious stones and crystals; and handcrafted materials such as passementerie, embroidered laces, and special handwoven natural fibers, among others.

Over 1,250 exhibitors are expected to be in MM&T in March, with 27 international group pavilions featuring representations from some of Europe's notable tanneries and components suppliers, South America's biggest leather producers, and upcoming leather, synthetics and components sources from Africa and Asia-Pacific.

Since 1984, MM&T has brought together the whole supply chain of the leather industry, making it an important stop for those in the leather and leathergoods industries. Vital industry issues are discussed and resolved in the halls of MM&T and in the auxiliary activities organised for the leather community during the fair, including the Tannery of the Year Gala Dinner.

In March 2013, MM&T will be offering an interesting conference programme focusing on sustainability. This includes the Annual Leather Conference on "Leather and the Environment", co-organised with the BLC Leather Technology Centre and Prime Source Forum's conference on "Transforming the Fashion Value Chain Through Sustainability".

APLF Ltd is a joint venture between SIC Group and UBM Asia. For over two decades, Hong Kong-based APLF Ltd has been providing the global leather and fashion industries with its most important meeting and trading place.

About SIC Group

SIC Group has been organising international professional events since 1926 for companies working in the leather sector. Its role is to support businesses in their development and offer them work platforms in areas of the world with high potential. With nine shows organised each year, SIC Group and its partners can take advantages of expertise that is unique in the world.

Owned by UBM plc listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia operates in 19 market sectors with headquarters in Hong Kong and subsidiary companies across Asia, including UBM China in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Beijing. We have over 240 products including trade fairs, conferences, trade publications, B2B/B2C portals and virtual event services. As Asia's leading exhibition organiser and the biggest commercial organiser in China, India and Malaysia, we stage the leading events of their kind across the region. Our 200 events, 24 publications and 16 vertical portals serve over 1,000,000 quality exhibitors, visitors, conference delegates, advertisers and subscribers from all over the world with high value face-to-face business-matching events, quality and instant market news and industry trends, and round-the-clock online trading networks and sourcing platforms. We have over 1,100 staff in 21 major cities across Asia, stretching from Japan to Turkey.

UBM plc is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to do business successfully. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams which serve commercial and professional communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.